#did i cook i thnk i did

[bugprinz]

back to normal

[mcflymemes]

MISCELLANEOUS SENTENCE PROMPTS *  collection #8

ever seen one of these before?

you used your own money?

you must be a bachelor.

even you don't spend that sort of money.

that's what it looks like.

i made a very poor introduction of myself to you.

you're a very hard person to convince.

i wonder how they knew that.

that speaks very well for you.

do you follow me?

you tried to kill me!

look, this whole thing better work.

that's why you wanted me here?

there's no use glaring at me like that.

i've always wanted to be in a horror movie.

i'm sorry about being untidy.

that looks pretty new to me.

i thought everybody in the movies was tall.

she almost hit me with a frying pan.

we don't agree on anything.

you're beginning to look like a londoner.

i just bought this.

turn the damn machine off!

i sorta missed the plane...

i'm always getting you angry.

it must be my accent or something.

you can't get a search warrant.

you never expected to meet a legend.

i've been in love with you all my life!

that's something i can't control.

they're sort of like geniuses. unpredictable and erratic.

up until now, you really had me going.

what have you told the police?

what is there to tell?

i'm tired of resting.

i faint. i mean... i actually pass out.

aren't you gonna pour me one?

even when you're angry, you're controlled.

i'm sure you'll find others to harass.

bear with me for one second.

did you ever think of getting another car?

i didn't know you were in town.

i'll tell you what bothered me.

take my advice. avoid actors.

i thought you wanted to use the phone.

you're remarkable.

you have intelligence, you have perception, you have great tenacity.

uh, i feel uncomfortable.

i've never been rude to you.

i feel kind of queasy.

that's not uncommon.

i have never seen anything like that.

i'm afraid i don't understand.

you grabbed me... you pushed me!

stay out of hospitals as much as possible.

you ask tough questions.

okay. you win. you're finally rid of me.

i think you're a very unfair person.

i just can't believe it.

please put out your cigar.

you know, in a way, i have to congratulate you.

do you have anything for an upset stomach?

i could see you were terribly upset.

i have one at home that looks exactly like that.

i think you hate me. i really feel that.

would you mind coming with me into the bathroom?

i would like to tell you something.

where's the honeymoon gonna be?

you must do a little cooking at home.

you amuse me.

it's a challenging time for me.

oh, don't deny it!

i can't turn around without you staring up at me with that blank, innocent expression on your face!

what size are you?

i thnk there's a misunderstanding.

you just incriminated yourself.

are you trying to frighten me?

don't be a fool!

you'll never get away with it.

i tried to be inconspicuous.

what's the meaning of that?

well, i'll be running along.

that is not a good picture.

you were counting on that.

i thought the case was closed.

why are you wasting your time with this?

i'm just trying to do my job.

you're priceless! you're a gem!

everybody makes mistakes.

did you want something?

must i remind you that you have no sense of humor?

if i'm interrupting anything, you just tell me.

i wouldn't do that.

[lost-creatures]

"Hot Cougars in your area". She'd seen the ads a hundred times before, they were probably the only motherfuckers willing to advertise on these piece of shit message boards, and most of them were just scams anyway. This time though:

Reader Discretion Advised: Eaten Alive, hard vore, snuff, vomit, musk, yuri, t4t

So I do as I'm told and walk away from my campsite in the middle of the night without telling anyone. We didn't have to go far— just some state park in the mountains above the suburbs. An arid montane scrubland echoed across the rolling surface, its reds and yellows muted to grey and blue in the winter moonlight. Three ridgelines deep into the mountains already. Just the hike to the backcountry campsite beat my ass, so my legs are screaming as I walk into the cold.

/

it was an unlicensed app, right? but you know the website seemed normal enough and i figured that if this worked, i wouldn't really care what they did with whatever got left behind. enough debt to buy a house i guess? i thought i'd been fucked anyway, made a profile and went 2 weeks without a response or message. they're just gonna rob me, huh? this is even better than Lex.

i really needed a girl to pin me down and start tearing into me, nobody ever goes hard enough goddammit. if you want something done right i guess you need to find the real deal.

i almost deleted the app, told myself two days in a row that i should. then, a photo, a mass, the clash of textures between corded muscle and gelatinous organ, heaped onto the dust at night. the kind of thing you'd see on a trail cam, but the angle was wrong.

how can i reply? i can't just hit her with the keysmash, how many women like her can even admit they'd want to do this to you. prey have to stand out a bit more these days, predator populations are way down.

"hey um, is that your work? i really liek it ;3"

fuck goddammit its over im fucking blowing it

"thnk u for noticing meeeee!~"

i'll just kms i'm cooked

"sorry i, the composition of the piece is very strong. the way the textures of the corpse contrast with the dusty landscape, acts to draw your focus as much as the border of the spot lighting and surrounding darkness. the off center lighting creates an almost sfumato effect along the massing, creating beautiful shadow shapes. would you want a new subject? ;3"

"Hahaha, you're cute aren't you?"

my rizz is unlimited

"We should meet. Do you know Henry Coe?"

/

Going back down the 22% grade is harder than climbing it and made even worse by the loose gravelly surface and the too many gin and tonics I had after we made camp. My boot catches a rock as I leave the trail and my knees hit the rocks. It hurts, but I'm having trouble finding the meeting spot, maybe some blood on the trail will help her find me. It feels like she's already on top of me. There's a pressure in the air and it makes every crack and shift in the earth reverberate across the slope. In that moment I can hear every motion every breath under the scrub. There's nothing, just wind howling over the crest of Mount Sizer. But I can feel her boring into me. I keep waiting for her to collide with me, knock me to the ground. I want her I want her inside me.

I want to be ready so I strip my torn clothing from my body.

This has to be the spot, the singular tree matches the photo she sent. I sit, bare ass shivering on the stone under the tree and wipe the fresh beads of blood down my knees, only managing to make a big red smear reaching halfway down my shins. The premix gin and tonics from the campsite start to fight their way back up my throat.

"I didn't think you were gonna show." she's smiling. Her stare pierces through me like I'm not even there. Its entrancing.

Her amber felid form followed my same path along the mountainside and into this depression. A little bit of my blood already stains her muzzle.

"You're Eloise? You know you shouldn't give your real name out to strangers on the internet, right?" She stretches the last word out, lilting, like she's trying hard not to laugh.

I'm struggling to respond through the boozy haze, the biting wind, and the nerves I get just looking at her. "i didn't really think it mattered" I uncurl a bit and she finally gets a look at my face. "can i know yours?"

She jumps, pounces, closing the distance between us faster than I can react. The full weight of her body hits me square between the breasts. Between her body and the rocks beneath every last wisp of air is pressed from my lungs. Her scent hits me all once as I gasp for air, she's actually wild, fuck. Her stink is acrid, acidic, astringent, its the kind of smell that sucks the moisture out of the air and dries out your mouth. I don't gag so much as start panting and straining towards her. "Its Tiffany." Planted on my sternum she makes every breath a labor and I barely manage to whisper a reply.

"i… i…"

I've wanted this for so long but I never thought I'd get this far. I have no idea what to say.

She shifts her weight into my guts and the sick I've been holding back overtops the lump in my throat and pours weakly down my chin. I gag into my chest as my entire body contracts and the waves of my vomit splash flecks of evidence into the fur of her breast and forelegs.

"Its okay kiddo, you don't have to say anything"

"please," I'm coughing up the heavier stragglers stuck in my throat, "you're beautiful" It just burns now. "i need you to take everything from me"

She laughs and looks down, guiding my eye to her massive paws pressing into the plush of my abdomen. To the contents of my stomach emptied over my still flat chest and softening waistline, dripping off in chunks. The tips of her claws poke from their cuticle in their round furred sheath. Fully deployed, each one looks like a karambit, sharpened just for me. She runs her paws gently over my belly, the touch imperceptable over that of the scouring wind, and still, red and black beads follow in the trail she leaves. The roughness of her underpaw brushes past my aching nipples. I can't help but gasp at the burst of sensation attacking my touch starved corpus. She cups her mouth over my breast and gently rolls the small lump of fat around with her tongue, punctuating herself by flicking the tensed tip against my nipples. I can barely process how desperately horny I am. Between my love life sequestered behind a screen and my newly sensitive flesh, I was unprepared. Warmth spreads where my cunt should be and I can't help but grind weakly against her soft underbelly. The first hardon I've had in weeks, I'm almost crying. She pauses a moment and grins down at my weak erection to let me frot against her own growing studded clit. She pins my wrists against the stony ground and puts her hips into it. I'm screaming, the feeling is so intense it almost edges into painful. She's growling feral in my ear, gravel infiltrating her saccharine valley accent. God Fuck please I need it its fucking happening. I shoot; I didn't even know I could do that anymore. The thin mucus spraying from my tip coats the gap between us and she thrusts harder against my pelvis. When she shoots, it hits me in the chin so hard I yelp.

"You really are cute. I hope I can keep you." Her voice trails off and she looks down at me with pity or maybe resignation.

Held down by her impossible strength, she pulls open the soft flesh of my belly like a ripe persimmon. I scream and the sound is deadened and hurried away by the gusts up the windward side of the mountain. Her snout pushes into the freshly wet cleft and I feel her buried deep inside my guts. She works her way underneath my ribs, my chest swelling at the foreign addition. There is a new pressure in me as she nibbles at my liver, the taut wet bulge of organ fills her mouth. I feel her tugging at me with suction at the back her her throat. Her teeth sink into me and the shifting cords of her stiff neck pull with enough force to tear the dark mass free. I sit in a howling void, fully part of that world. I am pure energy bursting forth from a charred vessel. Steam rises around the internal heat bleeding external, a pocket in our frigid night. Spread thin over the earth, I hope she makes eye contact with me while she chews at the choice cuts. She looks back at me, almost bashful at the intimacy held in our stares.

She lays by my side devouring me. Her cum pools in my jugular notch, stained pink with flecks of blood. A tongue like a wave of sand cleans my blood from my outstretched hand. She works her way between each of my fingers all the way down to the webbing. Rolling them over and over with that wet muscle. She knows exactly what she's doing, she's still finding ways to tease me back to ecstasy. In one smooth motion she pulls the hand into her mouth, laying the wrist perfectly along her incisors, canines neatly out of the way. And she bites, gently at first, and then the muscles in her jaw tighten and contract. Blood oozes forth and then sprays from the base of the bite. The radiocarpal ligaments snap apart in suddenly relived tension and her teeth smash themselves between my many carpal bones. My hand spasms, articulated by pain, and she rolls her bite just enough. The back of my hand hits the wet of her hard palate and every nerve in my hand screams as it comes away in her mouth. She pins the arm under her while she sucks at the meat of my hand.

its too much its everything im scared i cant

I come to and the wind's died down a little, the moon's not quite where it used to be. I guess you can live a pretty long time with your guts out and no liver. Longer than I'd have thought anyway. A stump of a wrist bounces off a rock as she drags me. The edges are black with either dried blood or frostbite. I'm not sure how much longer I have left, but every second I get with her is an eternity.

[cravingsfromatwistedone]

Hello! i was the anon that requested hop and i loved it sm thnk u!!! if it's alright could i also get a short drabble with yandere prof!Hop ? thnk u if you do!!!

HOME SWEET HOME [ DRABBLE / YANDERE ]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO DARLING! IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO KNOW THAT YOU LIKED THE PROFESSOR! HOP HEADCANONS I'VE WRITTEN FOR YOU! AND YES, OF COURSE, I'M MORE THAN DELIGHTED TO MAKE A YANDERE! PROFESSOR! HOP DRABBLE FOR YOU!! ENJOY READING, MY DARLING! TW: FORCED RELATIONSHIP/MARRIAGE, OBSSESIVE BEHAVIOUR, IMPLIED KIDNAPPING, PLANNED BABY TRAPPING YANDERE! PROFESSOR! HOP X FEM! WIFE! READER

The sound of keys jingling made you break out in cold sweat and before long, the front door of the house open and shut with a loud thump. And with it, came a loud and cheery voice "Honey, I'm home!" He said. The Pokémon professor setting down his lab coat and bags by the side of the door, golden eyes twinkling with delight upon seeing your shivering and cowering form. "I hope you didn't miss me too much," Hop murmured, burying his face into your hair as he engulfed you in a nearly bone breaking hug, hands wrapped tightly around your waist "Because if you did, I would've skipped work and came home right away," To which, he laughed a beat later, ignoring the flicker of fear present in your eyes before pressing a gentle, sweet kiss to the temple of your forehead. The male pulled away, still having his arms wrapped around you "Now, let's make some lunch together, alright? I'm just dying to have your cooking again," He simply grinned when he saw you nod reluctantly to his plan, even more so at the sight of your submission towards him It was such a good thing that he has such an obedient wife waiting for him at their home, and he can't wait for the day when they'll finally have a baby together. A baby would do good for his lovely wife, it'll make her want to stay by his side more

[oddvanilla]

I did my best for right now

YAYY THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER!!! I LOVE IT SM THNKS <33 ITS BEAUTIFUL ‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥🔥

I was playing scp w my friends n they're being cooked so bad sooo srry for the late reply :((

[mood2you]

Blog 13: It's been 2 weeks

And nothing much has happened, just small things. You can find various shorter posts, probably, I know I told the story of almost getting lost at night in a housing tract.

As you know, it was hot this week, and so I went swimming. I always take to things like that nervously, how do you get to the pool and back (answer: barefoot on the way back), how long do you stay at the pool (answer: couldn't be longer than 2 hours), what if someone looks at you funny at the pool. Actually, someone did have a fit, aparently some kids jumped the fence--silently--and the guy let their very presence ruin his Sunday with his little daughter, and they kept telling him, very eloquently, to mind his own business and not start a scene in front of her, and then called him a Karen. It was kind of funny, but sad of course, very un-neighborly and immature, and they got it on film. He said he'd just called the cops, I didn't let it stop me because he didn't, he did not stop yelling at them long enough to make any call. Both parties left before I'd finished Instructions for a Heatwave, which I mentioned in some other post. The instructions are bits of laws supposedly from the 1976 heatwave about not stealing water, not using water for frivolous purposes. The laws had it laid out, but it said drinking water was okay but it never mentions cooking with water. Some things like bread use water instead of milk, but other things require quarts of water to boil and then throw the water away.

I'd been eating at Jack In The Box a lot last week because I like their pumpkin spice eggrolls (croissants) but I hate their pumpkin spice milkshake and their monster taco is only good reheated as if they don't let their cheese melt properly. Their chicken teriyaki bowl is getting smaller and smaller.

I started The Pisces but it has such mixed reviews and it seems so mean. I see reviews for all manner of books that use the word vulgar negatively, well I think that part is interesting, all the gross stuff, but it's mean. I watched Renfield which was also gross, silly action where people explode into vicera. Both properties have group therapy and both poke fun at the idea that your boss could be abusive. But in Renfeild his boss (the specific person he is in therapy over) comes to a meeting and kills everyone, a typical fear of people with abusive partners in group, but it's not like you can turn people away especially not manipulative people. I thnk the movie has a lot to say but some of it went over my head, "there's more Renfeild-type-people than Dracula-type-people." In The Pisces she is a writer living in her rich sisters house over summer, she's her own boss and she's just dealing with agents and dogs. And now suddenly I'm the mean one for saying that. It's one of the Group members that says she has a pattern of abusive bosses, and it's like, yeah, we all do (except people with no boss) that doesn't make it okay. I'm gonna read the Pisces until the fabled mermaid sex all the reviews have as a sticking point.

[bi-demon-ium]

YoudidaskforitandI'msorryifitgetsannoying.

🌺 favorite poetic quote from a published work

🍌 favorite funny quote from a wip

⚡️ wild card: dealer’s choice of quote from a completed work

🫐 a line from a published work that you’re proud of, but no one’s mentioned yet - or if you can’t think of one, an underrated line in general

🌈 asker’s choice of wip: request a quote from a wip (a certain wip? a certain character? a certain emotion or trope if it’s there? up to you!) Do you have any Executives stuff?

No pressure at all! But I love when people are confident enough to do Ask Games, and, as I said, it's neat to see what they think of :)

no no please i promise it won't get annoying i love asks so much

favorite poetic... hmmm i have so many published works that this will just be off the dome probably but.. okay this is a big one but it's what came to mind so rip

(One night Milligan quietly, slowly asks him do you think I was a bad person? and he looks so honestly shocked, surprised even at the idea.

Milligan looks out the window after that, won’t meet his eyes, and continues, what if I was? I can do so much harm, and I don’t know why.

Quiet.

And then even softer: What if I hurt people?

And Mr. Benedict says, equally softly, you have a gentle soul, Milligan. I doubt you have ever been a bad person. But even if that were true… he sighs. It matters who you are now, and what choices you make now. We aren’t defined by our pasts.

He winces at that, realizing what he’s said, but Milligan only chuckles slightly. I do need to know mine, he says, after a moment. And he finally looks back at Mr. Benedict, at Nicholas, who watches him with dark, sad eyes, and says, But what if it’s something I regret learning?

Mr. Benedict looks sad—understanding, but sad—then after a moment, rather abruptly, says, You know, you’re also an excellent cook.

Milligan blinks at him, slowly.

And yes, you are exceedingly adept at martial arts, but I’ve noticed, Milligan, you only ever incapacitate.

I could do worse, Milligan says, before he can stop himself, and Nicholas smiles.

Yes, you could, he says. But it’s not your first instinct. But you don't.

When Milligan only stares—unsure what to say—he sighs again, softly.

You are who you are now, he says. And you, Milligan, my friend, aren’t a bad person. And your hands, whatever you think—he lays his over Milligan’s—aren’t only for hurting.)

-- from "keeping out the cold"

funny wip quote... im pretty sure ive posted this somewhere before but its so funny im gonna do it again

the onyl context im giving you for this is they are all literally kidnapped rn mr benedict has launched himself out of the kidnapping to attempt to murder his brother with a pillow

“The whole buff lumberjack thing, wow—”

Milligan blinked, utterly not expecting this turn in the conversation, and Mr. Benedict launched to his feet, and, having snatched a pillow, threw at him as hard as he could.

Curtain dodged it, cackling.

“SHUT UP,” Mr. Benedict all but screeched, grabbing another pillow, “You jerk, I was literally hypnotized, you jerk, you absolute dick—”

“Tall, long hair, bisexual fisherman chic,” Curtain crowed as Mr. Benedict all but charged him, swinging the pillow with the force of someone trying to smash through a brick wall. Behind them, Milligan self-consciously looked down at his hair. “Like the cover of a ro—”

His sentence was cut off by a loud OOF as he was walloped extremely hard with a pillow directly to the face.

“STOP HITTING ME,” Curtain shouted from the floor. Mr. Benedict did not stop.

“YOU! JERK!” he said, punctuating each word with another hit. (“stahppit!”) “I’M! GONNA! KILL YOU!”

i just thnk them activating each other's cain instinct while they're still like. fully enemies. everyone else is tied up at metaphorical gunpoint rn and nicholas is just like IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU YOU JERK YOU SHITHEAD YOU ABSOLUTE GODDAMN BASTARD [ATTEMPTS HOMICIDE VIA PILLOW]

dealer's choice from published work

this bit from "kind cruelty" (written before or during s2 so speculation for the hypnotism without seeing how it worked in canon yet) still kills me

also im just doing super long quotes for this one rip everyone reading this

"I'm not--I'm not guilty. I'm not sad, or angry--" his voice broke a little, but he continued, "I'm not tired all the time. I can sleep, and I can sleep without nightmares. It doesn't hurt. Please, Milligan. I'm so tired of hurting."

He sounded so small, the confession soft and tired, and Milligan desperately wanted to either hug him or shake some sense into him.

"Why should I give that up?" he asked. "Why?"

"Because it's not real," said Milligan quietly, and he stepped closer, nearly chest to chest with him now, and squeezed his shoulder just a little. "It's hurting you, Nicholas."

Nicholas's lips trembled a little at that. "...What if I don't care?" he said at last.

Milligan exhaled softly through his nose, and gave in. He pulled him into a hug, and Nicholas didn't fight it, but didn't return it, either.

"Then I have a cruel answer for you," he said finally, soft and low and resigned, staring past him at the wall. Nicholas said nothing, only waited. Milligan squeezed him a little tighter, and said quietly, "Because I've asked you to."

Nicholas didn't move.

"Please," Milligan whispered over his shoulder, fingers curling to rest between his shoulder blades.

Nicholas let out a breath and leaned forward, forehead resting against Milligan's shoulder. "Okay," he said, voice tiny and thin, breathing shuddering out of him. "Okay."

underrated line/line no one's mentioned yet

this one's always hard bc sometimes you have the perfect thing in mind but if you dont youre fucked lmao. i don't so i'm just going to go with something from an underrated work, "the midnight waltz"

Milligan spun him around, and although he wasn’t thinking of it, that thrum of joy was ever-present in the background, disbelief and love and joy, and he felt happier than he’d felt in a very long time indeed.

He, of course, at that very moment, tripped, ankle twisting as he stepped on a stick at the wrong angle, and a surprised yelp escaping his lips rather involuntarily.

This could have been an unpleasant knock to the head, or even just something else to laugh at, but—well, when he wasn’t getting pulled down with him, Milligan had quite a lot of practice in catching a falling Nicholas.

So instead of lying on the ground, whether bruised or giggling, he found himself instead in what very much resembled a dip.

Milligan, whose face was very close to his, blinked. “Can we say I did this on purpose?” he asked.

hmmmm i don't think i have any executives stuff on hand but. well i do have a little martina? somewhere? or i did, i'm not sure if lost it to the Great Hard Drive Implosion of 2023.

.....okay i can't find it so i'm just. here hang on. [ten minutes of loud sustained offscreen construction noises and unfaltering weeping]

Jackson and Jillson are really more like Jackson-and-Jillson, a unit, a pair in the way scissors is a pair. They’re really one thing, not two, for neither feels whole without the other.

This front they present is not entirely a lie. They are a pair, a unit, an inseparable creature; they are a fearsome and unnerving Orthrus.

But despite being platonic soulmates in the purest, most traditional sense (Platonic, not so much platonic) they are, in fact, two people, whether they like it or not.

okay i just spent like fifteen minutes writing some jackson and jillson content bc i love them and most of it is garbage but i liked the opening so here it is

[mymegumi]

wait cause why did i forget choso existed :,) thnk u inez for tag hehe

MALEWIFE !!!!!!

choso is reserved, a little odd, and fiercely devoted. he's so protective, when it comes to those he loves — whether it be his brothers or you. to a stranger choso might seem a little cold and apathetic, but that's anything but true! he has so much love to give, and he cares for you so earnestly. when he's with you he's so soft, almost a little shy, eager to help you in any way he can; cooking for you, scaring off weirdos approaching you, and just generally watching over you fondly to make sure that you're happy. he sees you as someone precious, a treasured person that he has to protect and nurture. simply put, he’s very weak for you. and he's a big sap, too! but he's fairly good at hiding it. or... maybe not really. i feel like he'd deadass start crying if he saw you get along with his brothers. you and yuuji could literally just be playing smash bros together, and all of a sudden you hear sobbing in the background and the sound of photos being taken. for choso, seeing the people he loves most interact makes him happier than anything else in the world — it’s the small moments that truly matter to him, and it’s those he’ll remember fondly in the future, locked away safely in his heart.

tags: @daiseukiis @dollysilena + anyone who sees this!!!! its fun!! take da quiz >:)

who is your jujutsu kaisen boyfriend?

my pookie

yuuta is sweet, shy, and hopelessly devoted to his loved ones. his friends, his teacher... and, obviously, you! being by your side is everything he needs, all that he wants when the weight on his shoulders feels especially heavy, or when he can't seem to think clearly. yuuta is so goddamn lovesick for you. he's the perfect partner, really, always so attentive and considerate and soft. everything he does is with you in mind; he tends to you, thinks of you, wants to make sure that you’re never sad or hurt — the bare thought of it disgusts him. if there was some sort of cheat code that could ensure your eternal happiness, he’d use it without a second thought. life isn’t always kind, and he knows that. better than most, really. but it still hurts his heart to think about it, and that does nothing to ease the anxiety looming over him. he feels too terrified to even blink, sometimes, afraid to tear his gaze away from you even for even a second — because what if something happened to you while he did? he doesn’t know if he could take it, not again. but when he sees you smile, or laugh, or just exist peacefully, those dark thoughts stop. he remembers, once more, that it’s because of those terrible possibilities that he has to enjoy the present, enjoy you and your warmth while it’s still there. he’s an anxious, unsure, little bit awkward guy, but he’s very, very in love with you. you’re so radiant it blinds him, as bright as the sun, as lovely as the moon, as hopeful as the stars. to him, you are everything he loves about the world personified. i could go on and on, but at the end of the day, it’s as simple as this; yuuta is hopelessly in love with you.

[blueskrugs]

illicit affairs | Sidney Crosby

surprise! it's a new swift fic. I hit a wall with inspiration, so I gave up on getting through the albums in order. this got started for a different player, way back when folklore came out, long before I ever decided to plan the swift series. then it turned into this....anyway. I've been poking at this fic in some form for well over a year, and I can't wait for y'all to finally read it! as always thnks to @broadstbroskis for being another set of eyes when i was itching for someone else to read this.

for logistical reasons, this became an OC fic, rather than insert. this fic also details an eight-year age gap between characters, though, everyone is a consenting adult at all times. I followed a rough timeline for the 18-19 season, but don't look to closely at dates. please.

length: 9.5k words

November 2018

“I shouldn’t do this, but-”

That was how it started. Danielle Moore should have laughed and walked away the second Sidney Crosby walked up to her and said those words. If she were a smarter— or stronger— woman, she would have. She didn’t. Instead, more than a little starstruck, she allowed him to start a conversation. If only she knew what would come next.

“I’m Sid,” he added, grin shy and crooked, as if everyone in the room, in all of Pittsburgh, didn’t know exactly who he was.

“Danielle,” she said, instead of pointing that out, shifting her wine glass to her other hand so she could shake Crosby’s offered one.

“I haven’t seen you around one of these events before,” Sid said. He was still smiling softly at Danielle.

The event in question was a joint fundraiser for the Penguins Foundation and the Sarah Heinz House Association. The ballroom they were in was filled with some of Pittsburgh’s highest donors, as well as Pens players like Sid. Danielle was all dolled up in a new gown and heels, curls piled on top of her head. She might have looked like she belonged, but she’d never felt more out of place.

“That’s because this is my first one,” Danielle told him. “I only started volunteering at Heinz House at the beginning of the school year.”

Sid looked curious, or he was really good at feigning interest. “Yeah?” Danielle nodded, but Sid continued. “What do you do there?”

Danielle shrugged. She caught herself looking over Sid’s shoulder, waiting for someone to sweep him away, something better, more interesting to hold his attention. No one appeared.

“I just help with the after-school programs a couple times a week. Help kids with homework, teach the middle schoolers how to cook on Wednesdays, nothing crazy.”

Sid laughed softly. “It’s still impressive,” he told her.

Someone called Sid’s name from across the room, and he turned. Danielle felt her heart sink, though she’d been expecting it. It was only small talk, she told herself.

“I’m sorry,” Sid said. Danielle didn’t really know what he was apologizing for. “I’ll talk to you later?” he asked.

Danielle smiled and nodded, though they both knew it wasn’t likely. There’d always be someone for him to talk to.

Over an hour later, Danielle was getting another drink from the bar when Crosby found her again.

“Put that on my tab,” he said, leaning against the bar next to Danielle as she took her glass of wine.

She turned. “It’s an open bar, Crosby,” she huffed.

Sid grinned at her, big and crooked and genuine, eyes crinkling. “It’s the thought that counts, though, eh?” he asked.

Danielle rolled her eyes, but she found herself smiling, too. “Whatever you say,” she told him.

The bartender slid Sid another rum and coke. He murmured a thanks before turning back to Danielle. “I didn’t get to ask earlier, how did you end up volunteering at Heinz House?” he asked.

Danielle slid into one of the few barstools near them. Her heels may have looked beautiful, but she wasn’t used to wearing them, and her feet were killing her. Sid seemed geared up to turn this into a whole conversation again, and she needed to be sitting for that.

“Some of my kiddos were a part of some of their programs,” Danielle told him. “They talked about them all the time, so I wanted to see what it was all about, and then I ended up sticking around.” Sid’s eyebrows raised. “You have kids?”

Danielle laughed. “No, God. I’m a teacher at Logan Elementary in the East Allegheny district.” Danielle didn’t think it was possible, but Sid’s eyebrows inched higher on his forehead. “I started there in the fall.”

Sid was quiet for a moment. “Do you like teaching there?” he finally asked.

Danielle smiled in spite of herself. “I love it. It’s hard as hell and I could use about ten more hours in the week, but I love the kids, and they’re the ones I’m doing it for anyway.” Danielle took a sip of her wine. “And if I can make a difference in just one kid’s life, why not try, y’know?” she added.

Sid smiled softly at her. “Yeah,” he said, “I get that.”

Time passed quickly while Danielle was talking to Sid. He was surprisingly adept at holding a conversation, listening intently to the answers Danielle gave to his questions, before giving thoughtful responses of his own. In between getting to know him better, and laughing so hard at his stories of his teammates that her sides hurt, Danielle found herself wanting to stay sitting by Sid’s side forever— or, at least, for a few more hours.

As they announced last call, and people started filtering towards the doors, Kris Letang wandered over and clapped a hand on Sid’s shoulder.

“There you are,” he said. “No one’s seen you in hours, we all thought you’d ducked out early.”

Sid glanced at his watch and made a face, but he spun around on his barstool to face Letang, elbows resting on the bar behind him. “I saw you at practice this morning, and I’ll see you again tomorrow for the game,” he pointed out.

Letang rolled his eyes. “So unsocial,” he chided, in a tone that made it sound like it wasn’t the first time he’d complained about it. His eyes landed on Danielle for the first time, and his grin sharpened.

“I’m Kris,” he said, holding his hand out. Next to him, Sid groaned.

“Danielle,” she said, shaking his hand, but he was already rounding on Sid again.

“I see, now,” he said. “You can’t spend time with your friends because you’re too busy trying to flirt with a pretty girl.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not-”

“‘That’s not,’ what, Sid?” Letang said, still grinning wickedly. “True? Isn’t it?”

Sid glared. “That’s not fair,” he said. “I see you assholes all the time.” And I’ll never see Danielle again, none of them added, though they were probably all thinking it. At least, Danielle was.

Letang was still happily laying into Sid, so Danielle quietly excused herself and made her way towards the coat check. Purse in hand and coat draped over her shoulders, she joined the crowd of people making their way to the exit. Behind her, a voice called, “Wait!” but she didn’t turn around. Until a hand latched onto her arm, holding tightly just above her elbow. Danielle turned, but didn’t try to shake off the hand. The hand in question belonged to Sidney Crosby. His fingers were warm against her bare skin.

“Wait,” he repeated. He was panting a little, like he’d run across the ballroom. “I didn’t get your phone number.”

People were still making their way outside, parting around them as they both stood motionless. Danielle stared at Sid. He looked painfully earnest.

“You didn’t ask for my phone number,” she pointed out. He’d had plenty of opportunities. (Admittedly, so had Danielle, but she wasn’t really about to ask Sidney Crosby for his phone number.) Sid blinked like he hadn’t realized that part. She sighed and said, “Give me your phone.”

Sid let go of Danielle’s arm to fish in his suit pocket for his phone. Neither of them had moved still. Danielle knew they were getting some disgruntled and dirty looks. Sid unlocked his phone and handed it over to her. His hand was warm where their fingers brushed. Danielle quickly created herself a contact and passed Sid his phone back. She’d left it unlocked, and she saw Sid smile briefly and mouth her name to himself before he tucked his phone away again.

“Let me walk you out?” he asked. He extended an arm, a grin in his eyes.

They were a part of the stragglers now, not many people left but them. Danielle took Sid’s arm and let her lead her down the stairs, out to the valet line.

“Will I see you again?” Sid asked.

Danielle hesitated. She wasn’t naive enough to believe that anything would come of this, not really. It’d be a nice memory one day, a night spent chatting with Sidney Crosby, like they were the only two in the room, but she didn’t want to press her luck.

“We’ll see,” she settled on with a small smile. “Pittsburgh’s a big city.”

Sid laughed, but he was looking over Danielle’s shoulder at something. Danielle had a feeling that whatever moment they had been having was broken, left behind up at the bar upstairs.

“I want to see you again,” Sid said now. He met Danielle’s eyes.

And what else could Danielle say but: “Okay.”

What started in beautiful rooms Ends with meetings in parking lots

March 2019

Sidney Crosby was not a fighter, but he’d never been one to back down from a fight, either. Danielle liked to tease him sometimes for the way he got on the ice, stubborn and determined and bitchy, arguing with anyone in hearing distance. He tended to get caught up in it all, didn’t realize what he was doing until it was all over.

Danielle was at the game when it happened, sitting in the stands on the opposite side of the rink from the rest of the WAGs, surrounded by screaming fans who had no idea who she was or who she was going home with. She liked it that way, sometimes.

Her eyes tended to follow Sid whenever he was on the ice, and she watched as Matt Martin cross-checked him into the boards, then once more for good measure. The puck was in the other corner, the way Martin and Sid were glaring at each other going unnoticed by the refs. Sid yelled something, shoved at the logo on Martin’s chest. Martin grinned at him, then the gloves were off.

Sid was a decent enough fighter, but Martin was bigger than him, and had the experience of a lot more fights under his belt. Sid got a few good right hooks in, split his knuckles against Martin’s helmet, but it wasn’t really a fair fight. Danielle winced as Martin’s fist connected with Sid’s cheekbone, just before the refs managed to step in and break it up.

The crowd was screaming for blood, for Martin’s head, fired up by Sid’s fire. Danielle found herself yelling with them. It was easier than letting herself worry as Sid was ushered to the box, shaking out his hand. Geno skated up behind them, carrying Sid’s gloves. He was laughing as he tossed them to Sid. Sid grimaced as he held a towel to his bleeding hand, but he smiled sheepishly on the Jumbotron, eyes still hard with anger. There was blood streaked across the penguin on the front of his jersey, and Danielle thought she could already see a bruise blooming under his eye.

The rest of the game passed in a blur. The Pens won, Danielle was pretty sure, riding the energy boost that Sid’s fight had given them. Soon, Danielle was following the wave of fans through the halls of PPG, spilling out onto Centre Ave.

She waited by the statue of Mario, like always. Sid would have to be patched up by the trainers, would probably get tapped by Jen for media after the fight. It would be a while before he would pull up in his sleek SUV, unlock the doors and wait for Danielle to slide in. She was used to it; they did this every time she came to a game. Since they weren’t official, Danielle couldn’t wait in the family room with the rest of the girls, or greet him when he finally emerged from the locker room. She doubted any of them even knew she existed, much less that she and Sid had been, well, whatever they were, for almost five months now.

So she waited, in the cool March air, for the face of the Penguins franchise to pick up a faceless girl from the street.

The last stragglers of the evening were finally leaving when Sid’s car pulled around the corner. He came to a stop in front of Danielle, and she hurried to climb in. She’d barely fastened her seatbelt when Sid pulled away from the curb, no greeting, no smile, just stony silence in the driver’s seat. In the lights of the city as they crossed the Allegheny and headed north to Sewickley, Danielle could see the stained white gauze wrapped around Sid’s hand, the bruise darkening his cheekbone.

The radio was on, but Sid didn’t seem to be paying it any mind. Cautiously, Danielle reached out and changed the station, but he didn’t respond. Sid was silent for most of the drive, until he let out a huge sigh as they drove through the darkened streets of his neighborhood.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Just thinkin’ about a lot of things tonight.”

“It’s okay,” Danielle whispered, because what else was she supposed to say?

Sid had pulled into his driveway and put the car in park, but neither of them moved.

“It’s really not,” he said, leaning across the console to press a kiss to Danielle’s temple. “C’mon, you hungry?” he asked.

Danielle wasn’t, not really, had eaten during the second intermission, but she followed Sidney into the house, into the kitchen, anyway. The house was dark except for the light in the entryway, but Sid flipped light switches as he went, shedding bits of Sidney Crosby as he walked, slowly turning back into Sid, just Sid. His dress shoes lined up by the door, to be carried upstairs later, his suit jacket over a chair in the dining room, his phone and keys dumped on the island in the kitchen.

Danielle trailed after him. He winced when he pulled the fridge door open with his gauze-wrapped hand, before staring unseeingly into it for a long moment. Danielle sighed and went to bump him out of the way with her hip.

“Go change,” she said gently. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

Sid pressed a kiss to Danielle’s hair, and whispered, “Thank you,” before disappearing upstairs.

Danielle sighed again and rummaged through the fridge, searching for something acceptable. The fridge was pretty barren; Danielle knew the team was leaving on a road trip the day after tomorrow— well, tomorrow, now, she thought, checking her watch with a grimace— and it didn’t look like Sid had picked up fresh groceries. She found a Tupperware with what looked like vegetable lasagna underneath a mostly empty carton of eggs that didn’t look too old and stuck it on a plate in the microwave.

Sid came back down just as Danielle was pulling the plate out and setting it on the counter.

“Sit. Eat,” she said, sliding him a fork.

Sid made a face at her, but he dug into the admittedly lackluster meal. He’d unwrapped his hand while he was upstairs, his split knuckles still an angry red, dried blood streaked across them. The bruise high on his cheek highlighted the dark circles under his eyes, and, for the first time since she’d known him, Sid looked small, his Pens hoodie hanging off his hunched shoulders. If she looked hard enough, she could almost see the shadow of the kid who put the franchise on his back all those years ago. He looked tired.

“I should head out,” she said softly, when Sid was almost through his piece of lasagna.

His head shot up, and he dropped his fork on the plate with a clatter. “What?” he asked. He almost sounded...panicked. “You don’t have to leave.”

“Sid, you should get some sleep, babe,” Danielle said.

“No, stay,” Sid said. I sleep better with you by my side, he didn’t say. He pushed his plate away. “Please.”

So Danielle stayed.

And that's the thing about illicit affairs And clandestine meetings and longing stares

November 2018

Sidney Crosby was not the type for hookups or for booty calls. Which is why Danielle was surprised when he texted a simple, “Are you still awake?” late one night. They’d been texting some since that night at the gala, had even met up for coffee once, but this was unusual for Sid. (Even though the perfect grammar and punctuation in texts were not.) Danielle stared at her phone for several long minutes. Had the other shoe dropped at last? Is this what Sid had always been aiming for?

If Danielle remembered correctly, the Pens had been out on a short road trip, had probably gotten in late after losing to Ottawa. If she also remembered correctly, it had been a rather rough month for the Penguins, and they still had a few weeks until December.

Instead of trying to get a straight answer out of Sid through text, she pressed the call button on his contact and raised her phone to her ear, fighting back a yawn. Sid answered immediately.

“Shit, I woke you, didn’t I?”

He had, but Danielle hadn’t really been asleep long. She didn’t tell him that. “What do you want, Sidney?” she asked.

She could practically hear his wince on the other end of the line. “Just some company, I guess?”

“Company?” Danielle scoffed.

Sid was quiet for a long moment. “Please?” he asked finally.

Danielle didn’t point out that he had plenty of other friends or teammates who could keep him company. She scrubbed a hand over her face and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was just past 1 AM. “I’m already on my way to your apartment,” Sid added sheepishly. Danielle laughed in spite of herself.

“You owe me coffee in the morning,” she said. At least tomorrow—today?— was Sunday.

“Deal.”

It had been raining, and it was cold when Danielle made her way out of her apartment and down to the parking lot where Sid was waiting. He was leaning against his car, waiting for her, and he tossed her a hoodie before she could pull open the passenger door. Danielle squinted at him, but she tugged the hoodie over her head. Sid was already walking back around to the driver’s side, so she hurried to get in the passenger seat.

“Are we going anywhere in particular?” she asked, fastening her seatbelt with a click.

Sid shrugged, twisting around to back out of his parking spot. “Probably not.”

Danielle settled more comfortably in the passenger seat, sleeves tugged over her hands and hood pulled up over her ears. Sid glanced over at her and turned the heat up. He didn’t seem to be much in the mood for conversation, which was good, because Danielle wasn’t really awake enough to be a good conversation partner, anyway. She let her eyes unfocus a little as Sid drove, letting the lights reflecting in the wet pavement blur together. She lost track of time, the radio playing softly, and Sid winding his way through the city with no clear destination in mind, back and forth over bridges. She blinked herself awake after a while when she realized the car wasn’t moving. She looked over at Sid only to find him already looking at her. She held his gaze. They were stopped at a red light, even though there was no one else on the road at this time of morning, Sid’s features awash in the red glow. Danielle saw the light change out of the corner of her eye, the car turning green instead.

“Eyes on the road, Crosby,” she said softly. Sid turned back the windshield and kept driving.

Before long, Sid had pulled into his own driveway. Danielle hesitated. She’d never been to Sid’s house before. It felt like a step beyond what they were, not quite friends, but not anything else either. In the dark, the large house felt intimidating. It was late, though, and she could hardly ask Sid to turn around and drop her back off at her own apartment. Sid turned off the car and climbed out, and Danielle had no choice but to open her own door. She shivered as she watched Sid pull his suitcase from the back of the car.

“Shit, c’mon, it’s cold out,” Sid said.

Danielle followed him nervously to the front door and inside. Sid didn’t turn on many lights as he made his way upstairs, and Danielle had to follow close behind him. Her doubts from earlier were creeping back in. She had no idea what she was doing here. She wondered briefly at what she’d gotten herself into as Sid disappeared into his closet and reappeared in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, hovering awkwardly in the doorway to his bedroom. She was beginning to feel like she was in way, way over her head.

Sid saw her still waiting by the door and offered her a tired smile. “Wanna come to bed?” he asked. When Danielle didn’t move, he added, “There’s no catch, I promise. Just sleep.” To emphasize his point, he yawned. Danielle had to fight back a yawn of her own, and Sid’s sleepy grin grew.

Sid pulled back the sheets and climbed into bed. Danielle made herself move, too. She’d kicked off her shoes by the front door, and her steps were quiet on the carpet as she padded towards the bed. The sheets were cool as she slid underneath them, but Sid was warm, and she could already feel his body heat warming her. He didn’t stop to ask if it was okay, but he moved slowly, reaching across the bed to pull Danielle close, until she was tucked up under his chin. His breath moved her hair when he breathed out.

Danielle expected to take a long time to fall asleep, thoughts spiraling, but she was out within minutes.

She woke to an empty bed the next morning, but to the smell of breakfast wafting up the stairs. Sid had left the door cracked when he’d gotten up. Danielle contemplated rolling over and going back to sleep for a moment—Sid’s bed was unfairly comfy— but the prospect of breakfast and coffee was too much. She pushed the sheets back with a sigh and climbed out of bed. She realized she was still wearing Sid’s hoodie from the night before. It smelled like him, and Danielle never wanted to take it off.

Sid had his back to Danielle when she found her way to the kitchen. He was busy unpacking a breakfast spread of takeout. Danielle whistled, and Sid startled. He turned to look at Danielle, already sheepish.

“What, is your whole team coming over?” she asked. She was exaggerating a little, but there was certainly more food on the table than two people could eat, regardless of the fact that one of them was a hockey player.

Sid blushed a little. “Sorry, I didn’t know what you liked.” He paused, surveyed the table. “I may have gone a bit overboard,” he admitted. “Sorry.”

Danielle took the mug of coffee Sid offered her. “Relax, Sid, I’m just teasing.”

She looked over the food spread out across the table more closely: there were a couple kinds of breakfast sandwiches, what looked like a half dozen slices of quiche, and a couple containers of fresh fruit. Danielle wandered over to the fridge to hunt for milk to doctor her coffee. Sid hovered, waiting for her to slide into a seat at the table before he sat down himself. He waited, too, for Danielle to pile some food on her plate before he dug in. It was cute, Danielle thought helplessly.

They chatted some over breakfast, Sid asking Danielle about work and Heinz House, Danielle asking questions about the team. She had a decent understanding of hockey, especially after growing up in Pittsburgh, but she hadn’t ever paid too much attention to it over the years, except for during the playoffs. She’d started watching more games, when she could manage it, since meeting Sid, but he didn’t need to know that.

It was fun to listen to Sid talk about hockey, even if the intensity and earnestness with which he listened to Danielle talk was a little intimidating. She wasn’t sure she’d ever had anyone listen to her that intently, with that much genuine interest.

Sid insisted on packing up the leftovers and cleaning up the dirty dishes himself, so Danielle stayed in her seat to finish up her coffee (and maybe to check Sid out some).

“I should probably head back home,” Danielle said finally.

Sid turned, looking a little alarmed. He was still holding the dish towel. “You don’t have to. I don’t have anything to do today.”

“I’m still in pajamas, Sid,” Danielle pointed out. She hadn’t even considered the fact that she’d be spending the night at Sid’s when he’d picked her up, much less that she’d need a change of clothes.

Sid shrugged. “And my hoodie.” Danielle squinted at him. He looked smug.

“Either you drive me home, or I call an Uber,” Danielle said, pointing her empty coffee mug threateningly at Sid. It was mostly an empty threat.

Sid gently took the mug out of her hand and set it behind him on the counter. “I’m sure I have something you could wear,” he tried.

Danielle raised an eyebrow at him. The hoodie she was wearing hung off of her small frame. Sid had close to six inches on her and probably at least seventy pounds.

“You look fine,” Sid tried next. “We’re not going anywhere.” Danielle raised her other eyebrow at him. Her curls were tumbling out of the messy bun she’d put them up in before going to bed, hanging limply around her face. Sid sighed. “Fine.” He turned around to put Danielle’s mug in the dishwasher, and she could hear him grumbling under his breath.

“What was that, couldn’t hear you,” Danielle teased.

Sid shot her a glare on his way out of the kitchen. “I’ll be right back,” he told her.

He reappeared a few minutes later with a hat pulled over his hair and car keys in hand. He still looked distinctly grumpy, and Danielle stopped him with a hand on his elbow. She leaned up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Sid’s cheek.

“Thanks for breakfast, Sid,” she murmured.

When she pulled away, Sid was blushing, and he ducked his head to hide it. Placated somewhat, Sid led the way to his car. He opened the passenger door for Danielle, and she offered him a smile as she slid in. It made Sid blush again.

“For what it’s worth,” Danielle started once they’d been on the road for a few minutes. Sid hummed, carefully switching lanes. “It’s not that I didn’t want to spend the day with you.” When Sid made another noncommittal noise, she continued. “I just haven’t done laundry in a week, and I don’t think I have anything to wear to work tomorrow.”

That got a laugh out of Sid. It also did the job of easing the last bit of tension from his shoulders. The rest of the drive was easy after that.

“Wait,” Sid said as Danielle made to get out of the car in front of her apartment. He tugged on the sleeve of the hoodie she was still wearing. “I’m never getting this back, am I?” he asked.

Danielle pretended to think. “Hmm, probably not,” she said. She leaned across the console to press another kiss to Sid’s cheek, only he turned his head at the last second, capturing her lips with his. “Oh,” Danielle whispered. Sid pulled her in for another kiss.

Leave the perfume on the shelf That you picked out just for him

DECEMBER 2018

Danielle and Sid hadn’t been doing their...whatever it was they were doing for long when the holidays rolled around. Danielle wouldn’t call it dating, exactly, but they were spending time together and doing date-y things—with plenty more kissing involved now. What are you supposed to get your millionaire, not-boyfriend, more-than-a-hookup for Christmas?

“You’re not getting me anything for Christmas,” Sid told Danielle firmly one night, only a week before Christmas, cutting off her lament that she still didn’t know what else to get her mom.

Danielle was pressed into Sid’s side on his couch, one of his arms draped across her shoulders. She craned her head around so she could look up at him.

“What if I already got you something?” she asked. She hadn’t, and Sid clearly knew that too, judging by the raised eyebrow he gave her. “Well, then you’re not allowed to get me anything, either,” Danielle argued. Sid chuckled, his shoulder moving beneath Danielle’s head. Danielle narrowed her eyes at him. “Sidney,” she whined.

Sid bumped Danielle’s head with his shoulder. “Lemme up for a sec, yeah?”

Danielle sighed, but she scooted over on the couch to let Sid up. Glaring at his back as he disappeared upstairs, she tried to count out the days in her head. With the Penguins’ schedule for the next week, this would probably be the last time they could spend together before Christmas.

Sid returned a few moments later, carrying a small, neatly wrapped box. He handed it to Danielle, hovering nervously in front of her.

“You didn’t wrap this, did you?” Danielle couldn’t resist teasing a little.

Sid blushed, scuffed his socked toes across the rug. “Nope,” he admitted. Danielle plucked at the tape. “Would you just open it already?” Sid complained.

Danielle grinned at him and ripped the paper off. In the box was a bottle of YSL Black Opium. It was Danielle’s favorite perfume.

She couldn’t resist one more tease. “Sidney, you know I’m not looking for a sugar daddy.”

Sid grimaced. “I, uh, remembered you said you were almost out, and i just, I thought-” Sid broke off, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Danielle had mentioned that she was nearly out of perfume, when Sid had asked her what she’d been wearing that night they’d met at the gala. She hadn’t expected him to really remember that part. She set the bottle aside carefully and stood up. She twined her fingers with Sid’s across the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

“It’s perfect, Sid, I promise,” she told him.

“Yeah?” Sid asked, but he was grinning. He put his hands on Danielle’s waist and pulled her into him. “Promise you’ll only wear it for me from now on?”

Danielle laughed and let Sid press her into the couch cushions.

They show their truth one single time But they lie and they lie and they lie A million little times

February 2019

The Pens had an early afternoon practice out in Cranberry, and Danielle was meeting Sid for lunch after. She was already seated at a table in the restaurant Sid had picked when he came in with a blast of winter air, bundled up against the cold. He tossed his coat across the booth seat next to him before sliding in across from Danielle with a smile.

“Hey, sorry I took so long,” he said. “I got tapped for media.”

“It’s alright,” Danielle told him. She’d only been sitting for a few minutes anyway. She knew better than to lean across the table for a kiss, though she wanted to. The people of Pittsburgh were pretty good at leaving Sid alone, but she didn’t dare draw any more attention to the two of them.

A waitress wandered over and took their orders. Sid launched into a story from practice. He had his back to the door, so he couldn’t see when the door opened again and Kris Letang entered. Danielle hoped that he wouldn’t see them, but of course they weren’t so lucky. Danielle didn’t have time to warn Sid before Letang had reached their table and was clapping Sid on the shoulder. Sid startled. Danielle suddenly had a weird sense of deja vu.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Letang said. He noticed Danielle. “And who’s your friend?” he asked. “Wait…Danielle, right? From that event a few months ago?”

Danielle was so surprised Letang remembered her that she could only nod.

Sid turned to face Letang. “I recognized her when I came in and thought I’d come over and say hi, catch up for a few minutes,” he told him. The lie slipped off his tongue so easily that Danielle almost believed him herself. She fought to keep her face neutral as Letang glanced back over at her.

“Well, you two have fun,” he said, already heading towards a table of his own. He shot Danielle a wink over his shoulder.

Across the table, Sid was quiet. He wouldn’t meet Danielle’s eyes. Neither of them spoke until their food arrived.

“Actually, I’m really sorry, can I get a box for all this?” Danielle asked the waitress as she set her plate in front of her. “I don’t feel well, I think I’m gonna head home, actually,” she told Sid as the waitress disappeared again.

She was supposed to follow Sid back to his house, had a bag in the trunk of her car so she could spend the night. Suddenly she didn’t feel up to that at all. Something like hurt flashed across Sid’s face before he carefully schooled it back into something stoic. Danielle couldn’t find it in herself to feel bad for him. He nodded.

“Yeah, uh, of course,” he said. “I’ll see you, yeah?” he asked, quieter. Danielle pretended not to hear.

Food in hand, Danielle swept out of the restaurant. She forced herself to not look back over her shoulder at Sid as she went.

She just hoped no one saw her crying in her car in the parking lot.

When Sid called her to apologize later that night, she told him that it was fine, that she understood, though she wasn’t sure she did, not really. She didn’t tell him that she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep her love a secret. Sid’s relief felt palpable over the line, and she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to make of that, either.

Danielle took a chance a few days later. “Can I come visit you this summer?” she asked. “I’ve never been out of the country before, I think it would be cool to visit Canada.”

Sid, to his credit, did not choke on the sip of water he had been taking. He hesitated, and Danielle waited him out. “I don’t know,” he said. Danielle sighed. “I’m always pretty busy, between training and PR stuff I don’t have time for during the season, and I was thinking about spending a few weeks in Europe, y’know?”

No, Danielle did not know. She made herself shrug. “Without school,” she said, “I don’t have a lot going on, my time is pretty flexible.”

“I don’t know,” Sid said again, hedging. “We’ll see,” he settled on.

Danielle knew better.

Don't call me "kid," don't call me "baby" Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me

November 2019

They were in the kitchen, standing on opposite sides of the island. Danielle was slicing an apple, and Sid was sifting through his mail. It felt terribly domestic, and stupidly cliche, and Danielle hated it, all of a sudden. Sid was chatting as he tore open envelopes and ripped up junk mail— some story from practice, maybe, she thought she’d heard some teammates’ names— but she didn’t really hear a word of it.

She set her knife down in the sink, took a bite of apple.

“Are you ashamed of me?”

Sid stopped mid-sentence. He gaped at Danielle, truly at a loss for words, which was rare.

“What?” he finally got out.

Danielle crossed her arms, stared Sid down. “Are you ashamed of me?” she asked again.

Sid blinked, once, twice. “Why would you think that?” he asked, slowly, after a long few seconds of tense silence.

“Why wouldn’t I think that? Do any of your teammates know about us? Your friends? Your family? It’s been a year, and no one even knows I exist, Sidney.”

Sid winced. “Dani, baby, c’mon,” he said. “It’s complicated.”

“Don’t call me that,” Danielle hissed.

Sid blinked again, stunned. “What?”

“Don’t call me ‘baby’ like I’m being ridiculous, that this is just some dumb argument I can be talked down from,” she told him.

Sid’s brow furrowed. He’d crossed his arms, too. “That’s not-” he started, but Danielle wasn’t done.

“I’m so fucking tired of sneaking around, of waiting outside arenas for you, of watching you lie to all the people in your life, including me and you! Everyone else gets to wait in the wings for the man they love, I’m stuck in the nosebleeds, watching you on the ice just like everyone else.”

“Is that really what you want?” Sid asked. “To be another smiling, dutiful wife?”

Danielle made a frustrated noise. “I want you, you idiot!”

Sid scrubbed a hand over his face. “You’re practically the same age as my little sister,” he said.

“If that were really a problem for you, you wouldn’t have started this,” Danielle pointed out.

“It’s not about what I think,” Sid tried. “The fans, the media, if they find out-”

“If they find out, what, Sid? Who cares what they think?”

Sid leveled his gaze on Danielle. She’d always liked knowing that she could capture his attention like that, bright eyes focused only on her, but now, they sent a shiver down her spine. “They’ll tear you to shreds, Dani.”

“Like they haven’t done that to you for years? I think Flyers fans still call you Crybaby Crosby.”

Sid closed his eyes, tilted his chin up to the ceiling. His lips moved soundlessly for a moment. “That’s just part of the job. You never asked for that.”

“I never asked to fall in love with you either, but here we fucking are,” Danielle said, helpless.

Sid blinked at her. “Don’t say that,” he begged.

“Why? Because you can’t say it back?”

“Danielle,” Sid started.

“I can’t do this anymore, Sid, really,” Danielle said. Her eyes burned, but she blinked back the tears. “I love you. I’ve finally said it, and I’m going home. I think you’ve got some things to think about,” she told him.

“I didn’t know,” he said finally.

Danielle picked up her jacket from where she’d draped it over a chair in the kitchen the night before. “I know,” she said gently. “But you do now. You’re on your own from here, Crosby.”

“Dani, wait,” he called, but his only response was the click of the front door as it shut behind her.

And you know damn well For you, I would ruin myself A million little times

Sid called a few nights later, asked Danielle to come over for dinner. She agreed, not knowing what to expect. She felt like she never really knew what to expect with Sid.

She ended up having to rush over after work, dragging her school bag stuffed with ungraded papers and unfinished lesson plans in behind her.

“You could have canceled, you know,” Sid said, trailing after her as she dumped her bag in the living room and collapsed on the couch. He was wearing his nice jeans, she noticed, and a henley she hadn’t seen before.

“Do you have wine?” Danielle asked instead of saying that, no, she couldn’t have, because she needed to know where they stood, if this was really over. No, she couldn’t have, because she’d really missed Sid, probably more than she should have.

Sid chuckled, turning and heading for the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready soon,” he called over his shoulder. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Danielle had already kicked off her shoes. Sid came back in a few moments later, carrying two glasses of red wine. Danielle took the glass he offered her gratefully and took a long drink.

“That bad, huh?” Danielle grimaced, and looked pointedly at her overflowing school bag. Sid laughed, but it sounded a little forced. “Well, come into the kitchen, yeah? Forget about it for a little while.”

Truthfully, Danielle would rather stay here on Sid’s ridiculously comfy couch, and maybe take a nap, or just sleep for 12 straight hours, but she heaved a sigh and herself off the couch and trailed after Sid back into the kitchen.

“What’re you making?” Danielle asked.

Sid was over by the stove, and Danielle hopped up onto the island, swinging her feet into the cabinets as she took another drink of her wine. Sid turned, saw where Danielle had perched, and shot her a disapproving look. He came over and stood between Danielle’s legs, anyway.

“It’s a surprise,” he said.

“Sidney, I swear to God, if it’s spaghetti,” Danielle threatened, but didn’t finish.

That startled a giggle out of Sidney. He rested his hands on Danielle’s thighs, almost absently, familiar. Then he realized what he’d done and tensed.

Danielle placed one of her hands on top of Sid’s. He relaxed, but only a tiny bit. So she reached with her other hand and cupped Sid’s cheek, turning his face back towards her.

“Hey,” she said softly, but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t know what to say, where to start. There was so much still left unsaid between them. She was saved by the timer going off. Sid swore under his breath and turned, his hands leaving Danielle’s legs. She let her hand drop and picked up her glass of wine again.

Danielle watched as Sid moved through the kitchen. She’d seen him cook before, but he seemed tense tonight. He was nervous, she realized, as Sid absently tried to pick up a hot pan with his bare hand. She wasn’t sure he’d ever been nervous around her, definitely not like this.

“Can I help?” she asked, sliding off the island and trying to peer over Sid’s shoulder.

He swatted at her with a potholder. “Absolutely not,” he said.

Danielle giggled and stepped back, out of range of the hot tray Sid was now swinging around, trying to find where he’d set out their plates. Dinner turned out to be chicken spiedini and roast veggies. It was good, but Danielle knew Sid wasn’t quite that good of a cook. She speared a piece of chicken and pointed it at Sid.

“You cheated,” she said, teasing. She knew for a fact that there was a butcher in town Sid frequented that sold all sorts of ready-to-cook dinners just like the one they were eating; she’d been asked to pick them up for him often enough.

Sid shrugged, blushing. “Been a busy week, this was in the freezer already,” he said. It was a lame excuse, but Danielle let it slide.

They chatted while they ate, about work and the team and their families. Small talk. And it was...easy. The silences were a little awkward, but not tense. Danielle didn’t realize how much she’d missed talking about the latest books they’d each read with Sid until she was doing it again. They talked, but they didn’t talk. Everything felt normal, but Danielle felt wrongfooted, couldn’t let herself relax fully. Sid was avoiding the elephant in the room, but Danielle wasn’t going to be the one to address it, not this time.

Sid insisted that Danielle didn’t need to help clean up after they were finished eating, shooing her back out to the living room with another glass of wine. She’d put up a token fight, but, honestly, she was more than happy to curl up on the couch for a while, listening to the familiar sounds of Sid clattering around in the kitchen. He was humming, some song Danielle recognized from the radio, out of tune.

She was just pulling some papers out of her bag to work on when Sid came into the room. He shot her a look, raised a pointed eyebrow at the papers in her lap.

“Work, really?”

“Teaching isn’t a 9 to 5, Crosby,” Danielle said, pointing her pen at Sid.

He pushed the pen aside and sat down, on the opposite end of the couch from Danielle. He dug for the remote for a moment before saying, “I know.” And he did know, had been witness to Danielle working long hours outside of school many times before.

Danielle carefully stretched her legs out into the space between them. If she really stretched, she could just poke Sid’s thigh with her toes. Sid turned the TV on and dropped his free hand to rest on the top of Danielle’s foot. She watched as he opened Netflix and clicked through some titles before settling on Crazy, Stupid, Love. They’d watched it once before, when Danielle had wheedled Sid into it on a night in.

“I thought you hated this movie,” Danielle said. He’d made it through the whole film when Danielle had made him watch it, but he’d complained through most of it.

Sid shrugged. He squeezed Danielle’s foot where his hand still rested. “You like it,” was all he offered.

Danielle did like it, and it was easy to have on in the background, mindless but funny. Before she knew it, two hours had passed, and the credits were rolling. Sid turned off the TV, leaving the room in near complete darkness. He stretched and tossed the remote aside.

“I’m heading up to bed,” Sid said. Danielle hummed, focused on the test she was grading. Sid stood, but didn’t move, looking down at Danielle expectantly. Expecting what, exactly, Danielle didn’t know, she realized as she looked up at him. “You should get some sleep,” he added.

Danielle shrugged. “I will,” she said absently. Even in the dark, she could see the skeptical eyebrow Sid raised at her. “I’ll be up soon,” she promised.

Sid sighed. “I’ve got skate in the morning, I’ll try not to wake you.” Then, as an afterthought as he lingered in the doorway, “You can sleep wherever.” He was offering her an out and asking her to stay in the same sentence; You can sleep in my room, or the guest room down the hall, just please don’t leave.

Danielle was startled awake by the front door slamming. It took her a second to gather her bearings. She was on Sid’s couch surrounded by scattered lesson plans, a stack of her students’ ungraded papers next to her, morning sun filtering through the windows.

“Shit,” she hissed, scrambling to gather everything and stuff it back in her bag. She could hear heavy footsteps making their way through the house.

“Sid?” someone yelled. Geno. Oh, Danielle was screwed. She heard the footsteps stop, then the familiar sound of Sid’s bedroom door swinging open upstairs, his tread as he rushed down the hall.

“Coming, sorry,” he yelled.

Geno took a step closer to the living room. His eyes landed on Danielle, and he grinned. It reminded Danielle of Tanger’s grin on the first night she’d met Sid, sharp and teasing. Sid was making his way down the stairs now. They were both out of time.

“Sid, who this?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Huh?” Sid wasn’t paying attention, looking at something on his phone. He was in sweats and a hoodie, dressed for practice, a Pens hat tugged on over his messy bed head.“Shit, Danielle,” he realized. He looked up, locked eyes with Danielle over the back of the couch. She raised her eyebrows at him.

“You bring girl home, then make her sleep on couch?” Geno sounded delighted. He was still grinning in Danielle’s direction. She wanted to sink into Sid’s stupidly plush couch cushions until she disappeared.

“That’s not, God, G, no,” Sid said. His phone screen went dark in his hand. He was staring at Danielle still, like he couldn’t remember how she’d even ended up on his couch in the first place. “That’s-” he hesitated. Danielle felt her heart stop in her chest. “Danielle’s my girlfriend,” Sid said finally. He never looked away from Danielle.

Geno crowed, and Sid startled, nearly dropping his phone. He glared at Geno as he got wrapped in an aggressive hug. Geno was still yelling, but he’d switched to Russian, Danielle thought. She laughed, though she wasn’t sure if it was amusement or relief.

Sid shoved Geno off. “Go wait in the car, would ya?” he asked, shaking his head. “Why do I put up with you,” he muttered.

“Sure, sure, fine,” Geno said. He looked over at Danielle again. “But I’m tell Sully that it was you who make us late.” Sid grimaced over Geno’s shoulder, and Danielle laughed again. “Nice to meet you, Danielle,” he yelled as he strolled back to the front door.

Danielle smiled hesitantly up at Sid. He took his hat off and pushed a hand through his hair, sticking his curls up in every direction, before he shoved it back on, flattening them. Tragic, really.

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Sid said. He checked his phone and grimaced. “G and I really are going to be late for practice.” As if on cue, Geno honked his horn outside. Sid rolled his eyes. “Okay?” he asked again.

“I’ll still be here,” Danielle promised.

Sid smiled, soft and fond. He bent down to press a kiss to her forehead as Geno laid on the horn again. Sid left, muttering curses at his best friend under his breath.

Danielle pulled her bag closer to her, settling in to work and doing her best to not count down the minutes until Sid returned. She wandered upstairs after a while to steal a hoodie from Sid’s closet, still in her work clothes from yesterday. Sid hadn’t made the bed before he’d rushed out earlier, the sheets still pulled back and rumpled on one side. The other side— Danielle’s side— was untouched, except for the pillow Sid had apparently pulled close in the night. Danielle smiled at it before ducking into Sid’s closet.

Distantly, she heard the front door open and shut again. Danielle pulled an old Pens hoodie off a hanger. Sid had frayed the cuffs on the sleeves; it was one of Danielle’s favorites to wear. She thought she heard Sid call her name, but she stayed where she was, stripping off her shirt and throwing it in the hamper behind her. Sid was on the stairs now, footsteps just shy of a run.

He poked his head in the closet just as Danielle was pulling the sweatshirt over her head. He was out of breath, just a little, and trying hard to make it seem like he wasn’t. Danielle pulled her hair out from underneath the hood and raised her eyebrows at Sid.

“I didn’t know where you were,” he said.

“All of my stuff is still on the couch,” she pointed out. Sid’s cheeks went a little pink. “I said I’d still be here,” she reminded him gently. Sid ducked his head, pink all the way to his ears now.

“Yeah, you did,” he said.

They were still standing in his closet, but neither of them moved. Danielle shoved her hands deep into her hoodie pocket, taking a deep breath of Sid’s familiar laundry-detergent-and-aftershave scent that lingered on all of his clothes.

“That’s my hoodie,” Sid said dumbly, as if he was just noticing Danielle in it.

“Is that a problem?” she asked. Sid shook his head, still looking at Danielle like he’d never seen her before. “I can take it off,” she teased, reaching for the hem and pulling it up just enough that her stomach showed.

“You’re terrible,” Sid said, but he was grinning, eyes crinkling at the corners. Then, “I love you.”

Danielle froze. Sid took a step closer, took Danielle’s hands in his.

“I love you,” he repeated, squeezing Danielle’s hands.

She tore her hands away. “Sid, don’t,” she said. Her voice shook, and she hated herself for it. Sid reached for her again, but Danielle stepped backwards, deeper into the closet.

“Dani,” Sid said.

“Don’t- don’t say that,” she said. “Not if you don’t mean it, if you’re just saying it because you think it’s what I want to hear.”

Sid looked confused, and Danielle hated him a little bit, too. “Isn’t it what you want to hear, though?”

Danielle groaned. She was exhausted suddenly, and she slumped to the floor and buried her face in her hands. Sid followed, sitting close but not trying to touch her again. Danielle laid back and stared at the ceiling; there was a cobweb on the light fixture. They were surrounded by Sid’s clothes, but the closet was still half empty, racks and shelves waiting for someone to come into Sid’s life and fill in all the gaps. Danielle wasn’t sure if that person was supposed to be her or not.

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and said, “Guys are so fucking dumb.” Sid made an offended noise. Danielle sat back up and leveled a glare at Sid, who at least had the common sense to duck his head. “I want you to tell me you love me because you mean it, Sidney. That’s it.”

“What makes you think I don’t mean it?” Sid argued.

“Almost every single part of our relationship until now?” Danielle said. “A year of lying and hiding, and it takes me leaving for you to suddenly realize that you’re in love with me? It doesn’t work like that, Sid.”

“What about this morning?” Sid asked.

“What about it?” But even as she said it, Danielle remembered Sid telling Geno she was his girlfriend, the fondness in his eyes before he’d rushed out the door. He hadn’t needed to say that. He’d certainly lied about their relationship to his teammates before. “What about it?” she asked again, softer this time.

“I meant that,” Sid said. He was fidgeting, running his fingers through the carpet fibers. “I- I want that. I just don’t want to see you get hurt,” Sid whispered.

Danielle huffed. “And how’s that working out for you, bud?” she asked.

Sid grimaced. “I don’t want to keep hurting you,” he said.

“So what now?”

Sid hesitated. “I don’t know, I really don’t.” He was expecting Danielle to flinch, maybe, but she didn’t. Just nodded, resigned, and so, so tired.

He was Sidney Crosby, he was always supposed to know what the next play was. But he didn’t, not this time. Sid rested his hand on Danielle’s knee. Danielle stared at it for a long moment before resting her own on top of Sid’s. Sid flipped his hand over, pressed palm to palm now, and twined his fingers with Danielle’s.

“Can we try this again?” he asked.

“Sidney,” Danielle said, a warning in her voice. Sid’s grip tightened on her hand.

“No, I mean, start over, do it right this time.” Danielle didn’t respond, so he plowed on, rushing and tripping over his words. “I want to date you for real, to call you my girlfriend, and introduce you to everyone, and bring you to events and on dates, and, and-”

Danielle cut him off, laughing, and he looked up at her, startled. “Breathe, Crosby,” she said.

He huffed, but he was beginning to smile. He ducked his head. “Got a little carried away there, eh?” Danielle watched him take a deep breath, watched as he tried to figure out what to say next. “I mean it, though. I want you to be my girlfriend. I- Will you be my girlfriend, Dani?”

Sid was meeting Danielle’s eyes now, and he looked so earnest, so sincere that for a moment she remembered the night they’d first met. Sid had looked at her like that then, too, standing out in the cold and asking Danielle for her phone number. She’d been helpless at telling Sid no from the start. She realized she didn’t really want to say no.

“Yeah,” she said. Sid’s entire face brightened, and Danielle loved him so much. “Yeah, Sid, okay,” she said again.

Sid all but tackled her then, pressing her back onto the carpet. She giggled, breathless, as Sid leaned down to kiss her. He was still wearing his awful hat from that morning, and Danielle knocked it off so she could run her fingers through his hair. Sid hummed, pressing closer, most of his weight on Danielle.

Danielle moved her hands to Sid’s shoulders and pushed. Sid rested his weight back on his hands, on either side of Danielle’s head, brow furrowed, biting his bottom lip. Danielle wanted to kiss him again, so she did, pulling him down with a hand on his neck before separating again.

“What’s that for?” he asked.

“I love you, and I love kissing you, but I am not fucking you on a closet floor,” she said, pushing at Sid’s shoulders again.

Sid rolled his eyes, but he rolled off of Danielle and to his feet. “I wasn’t gonna,” he complained. He offered Danielle a hand and pulled her up. He stole another kiss.

“Whatever you say, Sid, whatever you say.”

Sid’s laugh led the way into the bedroom.

[darling-i-read-it]

After Dark

Owen Sharma x reader

Word Count: 900

Warnings: spoilers for bly manor, ghost talk 

Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy this love!

Requested: by anon, Can I request some Bly Manor tings? ����👈👉👈 Owen x fem reader where she's new working at the house (she cleans or somethin) but not as new as Danny. And she and Owen have developed crushes on each other. And she doesn't know about the house, but just leaves early with Owen all the time anyway. And so one night she says shd wants to stay for whatever reason and Owen just 😳 & flips out on her like no you HAVE to leave, and idk just something angsty then fluffy or vise versa if you want thnk u ❤❤

Summary: the request 

Genre: fluff

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director 

(not my gif)

You sat on the kitchen counter as Owen cooked dinner. You had finished up cleaning for the day so you had plenty of time to hang around until dinner time so you figured you would spend it with Owen.

You had only been at the house a little while but in correlation to Dani you had been here a lifetime. You weren’t the new girl anymore which made you much easier to be around in everyone's eyes. Truly you only cared about Owen though. He was your best friend of the house and the two of you got along instantly upon your arrival. 

Now you would carpool to and from the manor and hang out whenever either of you weren’t busy. Owen liked to follow you around as you dusted things and cleaned up around the manor and you would sit and chat while he cooked. 

“No, you see I think it would simply be easier for Flora if we showed her good movies now so that she doesn’t have to catch up,” you stated. Owen pointed a spatula at you. 

“We aren’t her nanny.” You let out an annoyed sigh. You had been here at the tail end of Rebecca's nanny reign, all the way to her death. It was surprising but it brought you and the rest of the staff closer together. 

“I can talk to Dani,” you said simply, kicking your legs. Your fingers curled underneath the counter. 

“Maybe one rainy night you can give it a shot. Dinners almost ready, do you mind going to find Dani?” he asked. You looked up and she walked in just as he finished his sentence. 

“What about me?” she asked. 

“Dinner is ready,” you echoed. She nodded, turning around immediately to go get the kids. 

“I will be right back then.” 

You laughed as she left. You got off the counter and started to dish up with Owen as you chatted lightly some more about the movies Flora should be allowed to watch at her age. She and Miles flocked in after a while, followed by everyone else. 

“You know,” Flora started as everyone sat down for dinner. “I was thinking that we could have a sleepover.” You raised an eyebrow to her.

“That sounds like a great idea! Owen and I were just talking about showing you some real good movies. I mean it would be a lovely opp-”

“No,” Owen stated simply. His voice was rash. You had never heard him like that before. Especially when regarding you or Flora, both of whom he adored. You took the bite off your spoon and placed it down gently.

“Why not? You don’t have to stay,” you said quietly. 

“I don’t...want you here past dark,” he stated simply. The adults shared a look but really you and Dani looked at each other confused, not quite sure what to make of that. You didn’t want to push in front of the kids. So you let it go.

“Maybe another time,” you suggested, giving Flora a reassuring smile. She was clearly taken aback as well but she smiled back at you. She got over things quickly, bless her. 

Later that night, after Owen did the dishes, he met you outside. The sun was setting over the horizon, illuminating the courtyard. You turned to him and held your jacket in your hands. You walked to his car together wordlessly but it hung over your head. You knew you had to bring it up. 

You got into the car together and turned to him as he started to pull out of the long driveway. 

“Why do I have to go at night?” you asked. You were so curious, your mind racking with every idea about the manor you could. You loved the manor but you couldn’t deny how it made you feel sometimes. Like you were being watched.

“The manor…” he muttered but wouldn’t look at you. “It’s bad news after dark. The kids don’t even leave their beds.” His voice sounded far away. You likely wouldn’t get the full story from him tonight. That was okay. “I don't want the manor to get you.” 

You waited a beat. 

“You growing soft on me Owen?” you teased quietly. He smiled, glad to see that you weren’t angry at him. 

“Never,” he whispered. You put your feet on the dashboard and grabbed his hand that was lying between you. He squeezed it.

[madelineorionswan]

@caw4brandon thnks so much for the tag. Here's five things that make me smile 😁

Good food: especially Street food 😄 i love food and i also love experimenting with it.

Cooking: it's a calming thing for me along with being an adrenaline rush at the same time but I'm different times. It's a beautiful experience for me

Music: I've learnt music since I was 5 and it's always been a place to escape to for me.

Travel : it's been a while since I did it tho 😅 but it's always an eye opening experience even it's just for a couple days.

Lastly it's writing: I'm pretty sure this is self explanatory.

Tagging: @usernoneexistent @sweetercalypso @the-al-chemist @onlyfreds @lifeofkaze

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy! Then, send to your last ten people in your notifs (anonymously). You never know who might benefit from spreading positivity <3

Thanks for the tag, whoever you are. I've done this several times before so. I'm sounding like a broken record at this point. Nevertheless, here it is.

My plushies. I had some that is for cuddling and some for display. I guess, as of now. I like big ones, about the size of a bolster because they are much better to cuddle on cozy nights.

Alone time. I'm at that age where my social battery is limited. I'd rather stay at home and do my passion than socialize.

Coffee. My crippling addiction that helps me stay awake and live through the day.

ASMR/ Ambiance sound. I know it sounds creepy and pathetic but its a very good sleep aid. As for the ambiance sound. I really like rain sounds or sea waves.

Podcasts. It's always fun to listen and engage in the conversation that's being discussed. I always look forward to every weekend when the new [Trash Taste Podcast] is up.

I'll be tagging; @piyangg @akaryuga @katherinelilac @cawareyoudoin @mollyhale @zrenxa @usernoneexistent @madelineorionswan @loneforestwolf @abianeverdecides

But, no pressure~

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1000 - Initial Thoughts

We are Finally Here.

Not quite Christmas Day but still in Xmas Weekend so I’ll take it, but we are now at the 1000th Chapter of One Piece, a herculean testament not only to Oda’s dedication to his story but long term storytelling itself on a mostly weekly manga

The Wano story rages on and it will continue beyond 1000 but for now

This Party’s Getting Crazy, Let’s Rock

Spoilers for Chapter 1000, obviously, support the Official Release as well

Sadly I can’t gush about the Color Spread yet because this is fan translations (and a bit rough around the edges) but I’m sure come Jan 4th it’ll be great, hopefully Viz will do the full one and not one that’s rotated 90 degrees like 999′s half was

Also the title, Straw Hat Luffy. We have gone this long without a chapter titled after Luffy

Shishilian and the minks are still alive, ready to let Luffy pass, looks like Jack will be spared a Blueno moment, though he still could come up against Brook and Robin or Yamato

I wonder what significance Shishilian’s tears are, is it regret, grief, mourning? Did he not go full power? Also what’s happening with Carrot? I miss her!

WTF is with Queen’s neck? First tongue guns and now it’s like a wired neck? How cyborg is this dude?

But Marco’s out here handling King AND Queen right now! No flies on our Pineapple

Though they say they can’t hit him, is...haki not a thing with these guys? Or is there supposed to be some unwritten law that you can’t use Haki against certain opponents?

Zoro’s bad run with birds continues, he’s been hoisted, dropped and now thrown XD at least it’s in the right direction

Yamato’s smiles are very sweet...but I still don’t think he’s joining the crew, he has to follow his own path

But now Momo has Oden’s journal, could that be used as a bargaining tool? What would Roger had thought about Oden pouring a lot of Laugh Tale secrets into it?

Someone protected the logbook? Who? They say by the river so maybe Kawamatsu? Maybe Toki threw it out? Or maybe someone else was in Oden Castle at that time

Looks like Law’s done with his sneakies, bout to Shambles up there...where’s the rest of his crew though?

Ah more of Ace drinking his ‘Gush about Luffy’ juice, with a side sprinkle of Sabo mentions, isn’t it sweet to see?

And the fact that he wholeheartedly believes in Luffy’s dream, I wonder what that would mean for his plans to make Whitebeard King, was it to be a seat warmer?

Yamato screaming to Ace holding Oden’s Journal high should be a meme

Ace completely unaware that he’s just approved of something about his dad and wanted to share a drink with him

And wow, Yamato made Ace’s vivre card! That’s some deep cut, and explains how Yamato knew of Ace’s death, he uses the same line Ace uses to Luffy when he gives him his card as well I thnk

Finally, we make it to the top!

Look at Killer not getting the fashion memo of dark silhouettes

Lots of eye shifting going on though, Law looks kinda pissed

God that hero pose though, what’s with the threefold sound focus on Luffy’s feet though?

‘That little abortion’ - uh, little far Linlin...

‘He destroyed my castle, you owe me an apology’ - maybe when you apologize for blackmailing and trying to murder his cook, he’ll think about it. Though I do have a humorous thought of Luffy just going ‘oh yeah, sorry bout your cake’ and BM just switching like ‘huh...okay yeah we’re even, I’m gonna bounce, later fishcakes’

When Luffy isn’t paying attention to you in a main fight, this is the moment you have to say your prayers, because he’s seen something far beyond you

The Akazaya are beaten, but it doesn’t look like they’re dead yet, though it could just be Kin’emon, it is a sad sight to see

You know Luffy kicks into gear the moment he’s been asked for help, that just stacks it for him

Law did at least move the Akazaya, though they keep hiding his face a little

In missing, Kaido’s made another hole in the roof, wonder how that will turn out?

RED ROCK

Aside from the name being a combination of Red Hawk, Rocks Pirates and probably a new naming for the Ryou enhancement, that thing hit Kaido hard! It also becomes a cyclic moment since the first thing Luffy hit Kaido with was a Gear Third attack

Big Mom is shook, they both see Roger in him now, no more talking down at him

Because this is not Roger. This is Monkey D. Luffy, and he will become King of the Pirates

The biggest criticism I can give a chapter like this is that there’s not more of it, we need to see more! Granted, this was primarily set up for Luffy and co to stand down Kaido and BM, so we still have much to cover but I do feel as though that’s by design. As much as we have hyped Chapter 1000, One Piece doesn’t end there, there is still much of Wano to cover. Which leads to a sobering thought, we’re still not done with this act yet, and a tragedy is yet to happen. Oda’s making Law look very shifty too and BM didn’t involve herself in the fight. This battle is far from over, this is simply a wake-up call for Kaido, what will happen when Kaido starts enjoying the pain?

But for the chapter itself, it was brilliant, more questions sure but with the hype and gravitas surrounding a 1000th Chapter Oda once again never failed to disappoint, the Will of Goda continues and will continue to continue continuing in its continuation.

1001 will likely begin in the new year, until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy 1000th

[baranedizille]

could you recomend favorite dn fanfiction? i love you those who stand fanart and started to read it thnks to you, but it's so long i need warm ups lol

Ohohoh. First of all, thank you, I'm glad you started reading the monster because of my art. Khem-khem, so....

Fanfiction rec list

(it’s all lawlight, sry)

⚫ means multichaptered

⚫  Iridescence by raisuki on ao3. + a oneshot Radiance

Rating: Mature

This is my favourite-favourite one, really. I can’t express how much I love it, just read it!!! Beware: angsty and hopeless.

⚪ You are a wasp nest  by raisuki on ao3

Rating: Mature

Blind!Light, college au, kinda fluff.

⚪ Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies by  Hedonistic Opportunist on fanfiction net

Rating: Mature

It’s angst and hurts but really worth to read.

⚪ Sugar and pumpkin spice by deleted acc on ao3

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Very fluff very nice very ahhh, coffee shop au with Light as barrista and L as his annoying client.

⚪ Shame is pride's cloak  by youremyqueen on ao3

Rating: Explicit

Submissive L and Light who took Watari’s (who’s dead oops) role to look after L. And well, he’s pretty good at it, you kno.

⚪ By night we go naked, by day we go blind by youremyqueen on ao3

Rating: Explicit

Just a really good smut (as any smut by the author).  Written for a kink meme, prompt was: sensory deprivation.

⚪ See me by  Shadow_of_Quill  on ao3

Rating: Explicit

Innocent!Light and open ending (quite happy!).

⚫ Seeking his hand (unfinished) by  magic__mind  on ao3

Rating: Explicit (actually there’s really little of explicit content, because yeah, it’s unfinished)

“A historical regency-esque romance AU in which L seeks Light's hand in marriage”. It’s pretty ooc as you may suppose, but ah, anyway, this one is really good!

⚪ Sola Fide by Serria on ao3

Rating: Mature

The first fic I read in dn fandom and let me say, it raised the bar of quality very high.  Misora gives L the lead he needs so he captures Light and tortues him to find the truth. Open end.

⚫ The Lies of Light Yagami by  kildeer on ao3

Rating: Explicit

Additional pairings: Light/Mikami, Light/Takada

Light wants to make L love him so he can destroy him by that, I’m not going to say more, just read it. Really good and angst.

⚫ The Life and Time of Genius Detective L Lawliet & Repentant Murderer Light Yagami by Devilinthebox on ao3 + a collection of drabbles Photographs

Rating: Mature

A tag: It's a fic about a fictional biography about two fictional douchebags, - so that’s it. Light is without his memories of being Kira and given the second chance by L. Also they’re in love and travelling. Really worth to read + sad ending hemh

⚫ Our Bodies, Possessed by Light by Devilinthebox on ao3

Rating: Mature

Additional pairings: B/Misora, one-sided Mello/L

“L. Lawliet is a gifted photographer who believes he has understood the light and its secrets. Light Yagami is a young, unstable and slightly crooked model. Together, they kill time”. Really good and, wow, happy ending!!

⚪ A Kiss For Christmas by Rachello344 on ao3

Rating: General Audiences

Very nice one, college!au. L, Light’s roommate is invited to spend Xmass hollidays at Yagamis.

⚪ Buried Alive by avoidfilledwithcelluloid on ao3

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

“ post-apocalypse AU where L is subtly implied to be a doomsday prepper, Light does small gardening+cooking, and they watch a VHS of Murder She Wrote”. It was a real gift to me to find it, post-apoc au and Lawlight isolated together ohmygod.

⚪ Tell me I’m good  by avoidfilledwithcelluloid on ao3

Rating: Explicit

“L recieves a drunk call from light who is hiding in the bathroom at a party”. Reeeeeally atmospheric, just read it, I’m not going to explain, it’s not just another smut.

⚫ Hand in unlovable hand by avoidfilledwithcelluloid on ao3

Rating: Explicit

Trans!Light, a collection of drabbles nsfw and not. I love James’ writing what else to say.

⚪ In your shoes by avoidfilledwithcelluloid on ao3  

Rating: Explicit

Warning!professor/student. “After L sees his student/paramour Light step in mud, he rushes to give him the shoes off his own feet“. Really nice one.

⚪ Special credits by Serahne on ao3

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Professor and student but without any warning. More humorous than shippy, Light is an overconfident student and L is an asshole professor.

⚪ Love is War by Zara_Zara on ao3

Rating: General Audiences

School au and oh so sweet. “This is secretly a 4 + 1 fic in which Light and L almost confess plus the one time they did”.

⚪ Is that my shirt? by Zara_Zara on ao3

Rating: General Audiences

As you can gues hehe, they steal each other’s clothes, oh dorks.

⚪ A Tithe to Hell by Aja on ao3 (one chapter but long so it’s actually ⚫)

Rating: Explicit

Kind of classic and for a reason. The middle of it is kinda crazy but ok hahah, I just warned you. “Light has thirteen days to find out how it will feel--not just to kill, but to destroy”.

⚫ Nights  by youremyqueen on ao3

Rating: Explicit

Additional pairings: L/Aiber, L/B, Light/Misa

Another classic. I’m going to be honest, I read it really briefly hhahah. I can say though, it’s reaaaally well written and lawlight is very good in it. Totally would recommend it to L stans.

⚪ (x) ao3 profile is inkfeathers

Rating: General Audiences

I’m a sucker for hogwarts au and this one is soooo good, Light and L are students.

⚪ Groundstroke by VerdePradera on ao3

Rating: Mature

L and Light are professional tennis players, and Light isn’t going to come out of closet and L is upset and I love the fic really much.

Addition how could I forget it wtf

⚫ Coexistence is boredom (unfinished) by Sakurazukamori6 on fanfiction net

Rating: Mature

Golden classic. “This story takes place after Raito gets his memories back, but for the mere sake of fun, L leaves the handcuffs on for a big longer". Just fucking good, ok?

[addercharmer]

Izumi is told it takes her three days to stop dissociating, Nezu sitting in her closet when she finally comes to isn't much of a surprise.

"Sorry dad." Her voice cracks as she speaks. 

"No, I should have warned you about the trip." He tells her softy, she can hear the remorse all but leaking from his tone. 

Izumi throws caution into the wind and grabs the stoat and brings him into her lap, she holds him tightly as she finishes pulling herself from the last of the dark thoughts. 

"Up pup, you need a shower and some food." Nezu urges her. 

Izumi let's him go and starts to shift around carefully, her body is stiff and she knows very well that moving too fast will make it ache worse. 

Her shower is long, it leaves the bathroom full of steam that billows out when she opens the door. 

With her hair wrapped up in a towel and wearing a new set of loungewear, Izumi slowly makes her way into the kitchen, where she finds Nezu cooking. When he had purchased the bungalow he had installed a secondary counter where he could comfortablely stand and cook. 

"What did I miss?" Izumi asks as she sits at the table and starts to sip at the tea waiting for her. 

"Not much, we did first aid training on the trip, and some more quirkless combat." Nezu informs her with a quick smile over his shoulder. 

"The sports festival is in two weeks, we really need to up the training in both quirkless and quirked fighting." He speaks his thoughts. "I don't really want to do quirked training without you, as a licensed quirk counselor it is only appropriate." 

Izumi pauses mid sip, her brain is whirring. It may not be moving at its normal speed but it was still enough to make her still momentarily as she flits from plan to plan. 

"I think some one-on-one time is needed with most of the class, but honestly I don't know if I should focus on the ones who are still pro's in the future or the ones who aren't." Izumi admits. 

"I think that it should all be equal, if you can strengthen them all then there is a high probability that they will all be pro's." Nezu shares his thoughts. 

"Un." Izumi grunts before standing to retrieve the plates and bring them to the table. 

"Maybe we could offer scheduled appointments to all students for quirk counseling...maybe after the festival, that way the first and second years can still try to change courses next year."  She murmurs between bites of food. 

Nezu's fork pauses between the plate and his muzzle. "Turn your tutoring into office hours for quirk counseling, should have thought of that. The school counselor never got a full license for quirks." He mumbles still frozen like a statue. 

"Dad, eat." Izumi says to bring him back from his own thoughts running away from him. 

Nezu unfreezes and continues with breakfast. They eat quietly and Izumi is thankful that it's a Sunday and there are no classes. 

She cleans up after they finish eating, it's a simple thing that allows her mind to go high speed but not have to think about what she's doing. 

"Dad, can you braid my hair for me?" Izumi suddenly asks, she doesn't know where the sudden desire came from, but she gives into it. 

"Grab the brush and come to the living room." The stoat answers. 

Izumi does just that, leaving the towel her hair was wrapped in in the bathroom. She flops ungratefully in front of the couch and holds the brush over her shoulder. 

They are quiet as Nezu brushes her hair out, Izumi relaxes and let's her mind drift a little. 

A soft pat to her shoulder let's her know that Nezu is done, the braid is longer than Izumi had expected it to be, the end settling just above the curve of her back when she stands to replace the brush and retrieve her phone and laptop. 

Sitting next to Nezu on the couch this time she unlocks her phone and is startled by the number of notifications she has, they are all messages from the four friends she had made. 

Kayama is a flurry of words all saying the same thing, hoping she is well and asking her to text back. 

Aizawa sent a total of three, one an apology for avoiding her, one asking after how she's doing, and the last suggesting that they go to the cafe when she feels better. 

Shirakumo's texts are much like Kayama's, all asking how she is and demanding she reply. 

Yamada's are all a mixture of emojis and words, some of them are pretty confusing but Izumi figures that they are supposed to be well wishes. 

Shaking her head at the four of them, Izumi decides to just create a group chat. 

Mouse?Bear?Human? Has created group chat: had added 'sleepdeprivedcat', 'LoudAssCloud', and two others. 

Mouse?Bear?Human?: Hi! I am okay, thank you for worrying. 

IBreakGlass: Izumi-chan. \( ͡╯ ͜ʖ ͡╰)/

FemFatale: Shes alive!

Mouse?Bear?Human?: I'm much better now, thank you. 

LoudAssCloud: thnk kami

                           :  NW jst happy ur ok

sleepdeprivedcat: culd u all stfu its 2 early 4 this. 

IBreakGlass: nope Izumi finally replied. 

LoudAssCloud: no way

Mouse?Bear?Human?: Sorry Aizawa-kun, I didn't think that 8 was early. 

FemFatale: look what you did shō the poor species confused fem feels bad.

sleepdeprivedcat: stfu nem

                               : meet @ the cafe @ 12

sleepdeprivedcat is offline. 

Izumi shook her head as she logged out of the group chat as well and locked her phone after setting an alarm for her to leave.

She was excited to see Morpheus again, it felt like it had been far too long. 

Izumi then pulls her laptop over and loses herself to finding enough dirt on Endeavour to get his children and wife away from him, he makes it fairly easy because he keeps all of his documents on a cloud account. 

She's got half of the account downloaded when her phone alarm rings, it jerks her out of the emotionless state she had to force herself into when reading the 'diary' Endeavor had of Touya's 'training'. 

"Dad." Izumi calls out as she shifts her laptop onto the coffee table. 

"Yes?" She jumps a little when she hears him reply from right beside her. 

"I'm gonna go to the cat cafe with the others, but Endeavour's cloud documents are half downloaded, can you watch them for me?" She asks and she turns. 

"Mmmm, sure." The stoat answers her, Izumi is curious at why he sounds so distracted. 

With a shift and a turn of her head she catches real estate listings, Izumi grins to herself as she stands and goes to get ready.

[cosmic-rich]

GMORNING FAYEBAE 👑💖 *faye nation rise up* hope my blondie is doin good 👧🏼

thnk u for helping me last night fremd i luv u <33333 if you ever need your house cleaned or a meal cooked im your girl — mimi🐰💗

GOODMORNING MIMI

Did my advice help??? But uhm. You don’t need to cook or clean! I do want some cuddles though :)))))))))

[kwinsispn3]

Smushed

anon asked: Hi, Dove! Just wanted to let you know that I adore your Winchester!Sister fics to pieces!That said, was wondering if you could write up a Sister based Puppy pile fic in which S & D's sister wakes up in the morning to find herself trapped at the bottom of an adore snuggle pile(puppy pile) with her brothers arms and legs all wrapped/ tangled around her... maybe they all stayed up late watching movies and as a result all fall asleep in the same bed since no one can be bothered to move. Thnks! XXX

pairing: sister!winchester

Word Count: 587

A/N: I hope I wrote this the way you wanted. I have never heard of a puppy pile lol but it sounds super cute. I kinda tried to write this with fluff but also still keeping the sibling banter in there :)

It was one of the first days in a long time where you and your brothers were able to have a day off. So of course, you three took advantage of it.

Dean was in the kitchen half the night cooking up some burgers while Sam was organizing some movies. You sat in front of the TV in Sam’s room, channel surfing, trying to find something good to watch. 

Sam rose from the bookcase in his room. “Check it out! When’s the last time we watched this.” He asked, holding up the movie case.

“Uh, I dunno. Let’s watch it. You grabbed it eagerly.

“Dean!” Sam called out.

“What!” Dean shouted.

“Come watch this with us.” You shouted back. Moments later, Dean walked through the door with a plate fixed up for himself.

“Oh nice, burgers! Did you make more than one this time?” You snarked.

“Yeah, go get one yourself if you want one.” He sassed. “Classic Dean being a great big brother”, you thought to yourself.

You came back moments later with a plate and both brothers were sprawled out on different parts of the bed. Sam sitting against the headboard and Dean sitting at the end, eating his food.

“Where am I supposed to sit?” You whined.

“On the floor.” Dean spoke through a mouthful of food.

“You can sit here.” Sam scoffed at Dean, scooching over to make room for you.

You smiled. “You’re a jerk face.” You told Dean.

“Thanks, you’re so sweet.” Dean spat sarcastically.

“Oh my god, shut up!” Sam scowled, motioning at the TV.

You three all watched the movie. You ended up falling asleep towards the end. Not caring too much as you were super tired from all the hunts.

..................

You started to wake up. It didn’t feel like you were in your own bed. You felt a little suffocated. You stirred slightly, but you couldn’t move that much. You thought you were in dream or something, but you finally woke up and realized it was much more weird than a dream. You had fallen asleep on Sam’s bed, but that wasn’t it. Sam and Dean had also fallen asleep there. Dean had taken up half the bed, half of his upper body was sprawled over your legs, and Sam had laid up against you like a pillow. 

You tried moving your brothers off of you but they were both still snoring. “Why couldn’t they have just fallen asleep on each other, they just had to sleep on top of the smallest person, didn't they?” You thought.

“C’mon guys wake up.” You said out loud. Dean stirred a little bit. They must’ve been really tired. Normally the slightest movement wakes them both up. Hunters instincts.

“WAKE UP!” You shouted while trying to move them. You accidentally whacked Sam in the head in the process. 

“Wha-what?” Dean sat up all confused.

“Ow, what the hell?” Sam rubbed his head. He had a serious case of bedhead.

“You guys fell asleep on me. I couldn’t breathe.” You exclaimed.

“You guys fell asleep in my bed!” Sam argued.

“Whatever, I’m going back to bed.” Dean yawned, getting up slowly and trudging back to his room. 

Sam looked at you with a tired and annoyed face. “What? You were squishing my lungs.” You stated, walking out, heading back to your room.

Sam sighed and looked in the mirror up on the wall. “You messed up my hair!” Sam shouted down the hall.

“Oh honey, it was already messed up!” You laughed.